● SK chemicals, Grand Prize at the 2017 Korea New Drug Awards

- New Drug Development Grand Prize, Recognized for Bio Business R&D
- Spearheading Premium Vaccines and "Bio-Industry Development"



Following innovative R&D advances in the field of biotechnology, SK chemicals was recently recognized for achievements in new drug development at the 2017 Korea New Drug Awards held on the 21st of this month at Ferrum Tower in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Marking its fifth anniversary this year, the annual Korea New Drug Awards, sponsored by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, selects and awards outstanding pharmaceutical and medical device companies that have led the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry. This year, three companies were each awarded grand prizes in the categories of New Drug Development, New Drug Research, and Technology Innovation.

Along with the world`s first successful commercialization of a cell-culture quadrivalent influenza vaccine, SK chemicals developed a next-generation hemophilia treatment and entered the US and European markets - a first for a domestic biopharmaceutical company - and was recognized for excellence in R&D in the bio-sector.

The company received high praise for advancing technology in the domestic pharmaceutical industry even further through the development of SKYCellflu Quadrivalent, the first influenza vaccine to combine quadrivalent and cell-culture methodologies.

SKYCellflu Quadrivalent is a next-generation vaccine capable of protecting against four strains of influenza viruses with a single vaccination, namely two Type-A (H1N1 and H3N2) and two Type-B (Yamagata and Victoria) influenza viruses.

Unlike traditional egg-based vaccines, it is produced via state-of-the-art aseptic incubators using a cell-culture technique and characterized by its preservative- and antibiotic-free quality in its production. Moreover, SK chemicals has shortened the production period to less than half that of previous methods.In addition, AFSTYLA, a hemophilia A treatment developed through proprietary means and technology-exported to CSL in 2009, received marketing approval in Europe and the US in 2017 and 2016, respectively, an unprecedented achievement for a domestically-developed bio-medicine.

AFSTYLA is a blood coagulation factor VIII (antihemophilic factor) developed by SK chemicals for the first time in the world with a single-chain product. Unlike the existing hemophilia treatments based on the coalition of two separate proteins, AFSTYLA completely combines the two proteins, thus drastically improving their stability. It can be administered twice a week, which can also be cited as one of its prominent features.

Not to rest on its laurels, SK chemicals is currently developing non-domestically sufficient vaccines such as those for pneumococcal disease, cervical cancer, and child gastroenteritis and is awaiting final marketing authorization for the commercialization of a shingles vaccine.

"Since 2008, we`ve concentrated our R&D on vaccine development, accumulating differentiated technologies," said Jae-yong An, the Head of Vaccine Business. He added, "Even more vaccines will be introduced in the future to contribute to the promotion of human health and bio-industry development."





[Photo]
Jae-yong An (left) of SK chemicals receiving the Grand Prize at the 2017 Korea New Drug Awards.